Trace-fastener.



No. 702,527. Patented lune I7, I902.

T. A. BAKKEN. v

TRACE FASTENEB.

(Application filed Aug. 28, 1901.)

(No Model.)

(Z/5 ,21. 1.9.101 v q annuals:

ivgzJmnms PETERS en, womumou WASNINGYON, n. c.

P TENT OFFICE;

THORE A. I SAKKEN, OF DE SOTO, WISCONSIN.

TRACE-PASTENJER.

srnorr ros'rro v forainglsaa offLetters meant. 702,527, dated June 17,1902.

. "Application filed August 28,19O1 Serial No. 73,605,, (No model To allwhom it ntay concern: I

Be it known that I, THORE iA.BAKK E N, ai citizen. of the United States,residing at De Soto, in the county of Vernon and State of Wisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trace-Fasteners;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in trace-fasteners, andmore-particularly to that class adapted to automatically lock the traceagainst disengagement with the "singletree;

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a trace-fastenerwhichshall be readily applicable to any form of singletreeand which shall beprovided with a head carrying an arm over which, the trace is adapted tobe passed, the said arm after such passage automatically assuming aposition in the path ofsuch passage of the trace, and thereby lockingthe same against removal.

It consists of certain novel constructions, combinations, andarrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal centralsection. through a trace-fastenerQembodying the features of thepresentinvention and'shownap-- s- 2 rep: resents an inverted plan Viewof the same; and Fig. 3 represents {a View in side elevation plied to aportionof asingletree.

of a slightly-modifiedfform of the same p'ar'ts being broken away to;more clearly disclosethe construction.

In the art to which the present invention relates it has been founddesirable to produce a trace guard or look whichhas no projectingcorners which are liable to become engaged by some foreign article andbroken or injured, wherebythe lock-is rendered less efficient orentirely worthless, and it has also been considered beneficial toprovide a lock of neat appearance and not burdened with heavy clumsysprings, while at the same time automatic in its action. The presentinvention is believed to f ully'embody all of these advantages andovercome the mentioned as well as many other objections, and the saidinvenfilling the whole of said groove.

} tion lw ill bebetter'understood reference to the accompanyingdrawings,iinwhich The numeral 1 indicates the body portion of atrace-fastener, which is of any preferred contour and is formed with asuitable head, as 2, preferably tapering outward to a point, as at 5,the said head being formed with a groove, as 4, preferably extendinglongitudinally thereof and opening at the point 3,which groove isadaptedto receive an arm,as 5,which is pivoted therein, as-at 6. The arm5 is preferably notched, as at 7, and formed with a lug, as 8, whichpresses one end of a coiled spring, as 9, the opposite end of saidspring pressing the upper wall of groove 4, whereby the said arm 5 hasits inner end normally outwardly pressed, audit will be seen'that bymeans of said notchi thefspringfil'maybe inclosed by' arm 5-when thesame is pressed inwardly, and the upper edge of said arm may thereby becaused to lie in contact with the upper wall of groove 4, therebysubstantially The outer end of arm 5 beyond pivot 6 is normally held incontact with the upper wall of the outer end of groove 4, whereby theinner end of said arm is prevented from projecting out of said groovefar enoughto expose any portion of itsupper edge or of the notch 7,thereby obviating the objection of projecting corners,

said-outer end extending to the end of groove 4 and forminga portion ofthe pointed end ofhead-2.

As seen in Fig.1, the body'portion 1 is preferably providedswith asuitable annular shoul- Tder; as 10,-an d.a'screw, as.'1'1-,'w hich isadapted'to be threaded into the e'n'd'of a singletree, as shown, thetrace-fastener thereby being applicable to any of the singletrees now inuse. A suitable ferrule, as 12, may be ap plied to the end of thesingletree without interfering with my present trace fastenen.

As seen in Fig. 3, the body portion 1 may be provided with an annularflange, as 13, of the same diameter as that of theYenjd of thesingletree to which it is to'b'e applied, the outer periphery of-dsaidflange being formed integral with a fer-rule 12-, which"isusuallysuflicient to retain the tracefastene'r'in position; but I may, ifpreferred, provide the body portion 1 witha screw, as 11, for assistingin such retention. The use of screw 11 is of course optional and may bedispensed with, if desired.

The operation of the parts will be readily apparent from the foregoing.A trace, as 14:, is passed laterally over head 2, longitudinallythereof, the arm 5 assuming the position within groove l against thepressure of spring 9, as shown in Fig. 3, until said trace is pressed toits position on body portion 1, when the said spring 9 again forces armito its normal position, and the said trace is thereby locked againstaccidental removal.

It will be seen that'spring 9 may be dispensed with altogether, and arm5, movingin a vertical plane, will act by gravity; but I prefer toemploy a spring to make such action more rapid and positive, and Iprefer the coiled form of spring for the reason that it is lighter,cheaper, and more durable than any other form of spring; but it will ofcourse be understood that. any form of spring may be used within thespirit of the present invention.

Although I have specifically set forth one particular embodiment of thepresent invention, yet I do not wish to be understood as limiting myselfto the exact details of structure disclosed, but shall feel at libertyto deviate therefrom to the extent of the scope of my invention.

To the many advantages of the present construction the fact that groove4: is formed in the under face of head 2 contributes materially, as itobviates danger of foreign substances, as rain or dirt thrown from thevehicle-wheels, entering the same, whereby a perfect operation of theparts is always insured.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A trace-fastener, comprising a body portion, a grooved head formedthereon, an arm pivoted near one end in said groove and notched in itsupper face, and a spring interposed between the upper wall of saidgroove and the notched portion of said arm, Whereby said arm is adaptedto have its free end normally projecting beyond said groove but may bepressed into the same until its upper face lies in contact with saidupper face of the groove, the notch of said arm inclosing said spring,and the under face of the arm lying flush with the under face of saidhead, the said groove being thereby substantially wholly filled,substantially as described.

2. A trace-fastener, comprising a body portion, a longitudinally-groovedhead, an arm movable within said groove, means pivotally securing saidarm near one end thereof, whereby the free end of said arm is adapted tonormally project beyond the side walls of said groove, while theopposite end, beyond said pivot is designed to contact with the up perwall thereof for limiting the outward movement of said free end,substantially as described.

A trace-fastener, comprising a body portion, a grooved head thereon, anarm pivoted at one end within said groove, a notch being formed in saidarm, 2. lug projecting inwardly from the base of said notch, a coiledspring interposed between said arm and the upper wall of said groove,and having its lowerend surrounding said lug,whereby the said spring isprevented from lateral movement, and means for preventing the notchedportion of said arm from being exposed beyond the wall of said groove,substantially as described.

' In testimony whereof I hereunto aliix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

TI-IORE A. BAKKEN.

Vitnesses:

JENNIE O. IIAGMANN, M. WVARDWELL.

